The climate this year was definitely unusual as it was dry from mid October 2015 till the end of February with a mild temperature. In the springtime it was often cooler than average and the weather was humid. At the end of June it was dry with a few thuderstorms. The budding phase of the vines was normal, the flowering phase started slightly later (source: Associazione Enologi Enotecnici Italiani – Association of the Italian Oenology and Oenological Technicians). Please find further details regarding the different zones of Piedmont as follows.

MONFORTE (Province of Cuneo): The winter was quite mild with little snow. It was rainy during the springtime. The summer was warm, but not excessively. The weather was warm in August and in September.

Riccardo Seghesio owner of Azienda Agricola Aldo e Riccardo Seghesio (Barolo DOCG, Barbera d’Alba DOC, Dolcetto d’Alba DOC, Langhe Rosso DOC): “..The grapes were beautiful, the quality and quantity were both good. The Nebbiolo grapes were perfect! 2016 is a very positive vintage. We started picking Dolcetto on the 15t h of September and we finished with Nebbiolo on the 20t h of October. 2016 is a more “classic” vintage. We produced the whole range of wines. The wines are well structured, with a lot of colour. The alcoholic fermentation of the wines is spontaneous and it went very well for all the wines. We are very happy….”

LA MORRA (Province of Cuneo): The winter was not particularly cold with little snow. The springtime was generally rainy, it was warm at the beginning and moderately cool in May/June. The summer was tendentially dry without being excessively warm; at the end of August there was a hailstorm, but luckily the damage was limited. The month of September (in particular in mid/end of the month) was very warm, but it was cool at night. Consequently there was an excellent day/night temperature range (which is optimal for the phenolic ripening of Nebbiolo grapes). It was not very rainy in October and it was cool. There were some rains at the end of the month, but this did not damage the quality of the grapes.

Azienda Agricola Fratelli Revello (Barolo DOCG, Barbera d’Alba DOC, Dolcetto d’Alba DOC, Langhe Nebbiolo DOC): “..the weather that was warm in September and dry in October with a cool temperature at night helped us very much to have a good harvest. We started picking Dolcetto on the 29t h of September. We started picking Barbera and Nebbiolo on the 3r d of October and we finished on the 15t h of October. We harvested the grapes when their ripening was good..The wines have a beautiful and intense red colour, the alcohol strength and the acidity are good. We produced the whole range of wines. It is very early to be able to judge the vintage, but its characteristics are very good. Time will tell us whether the 2016 vintage will reach excellence, the conditions are there…”

Azienda Agricola Carlo Revello e Figli (Barolo DOCG, Barbera d’Alba DOC, Dolcetto d’Alba DOC, Langhe Nebbiolo DOC): “..we picked Dolcetto on the 18t h of September, Barbera on the 30t h of September and Nebbiolo from the 5t h till the 17t h of October. The good weather in autumn ensured an optimal ripening of the grapes. The grape yield was good. In some plots that were hit by hail the yield was lower. The practices in the vineyard have not varied in comparison to the previous vintages, while in the cellar, as we do not have horizontal rotary fermentors any more, we carry out macerations with the skins that are longer, 10-15 days, for Barolo. At the moment all the characteristics of the wines are normal, the alcohol strength is slightly lower in comparison to 2015. 2016 is surely a good vintage. It is still very early, but, on the basis of the climate, 2016 could be compared to 2006. The alcoholic fermentation of the wines is spontaneous….”

Paolo Grasso – Azienda Agricola Silvio Grasso (Barolo DOCG, Barbera d’Alba DOC, Dolcetto d’Alba DOC, Langhe Nebbiolo DOC)”….sequence of the varieties that were harvested: Dolcetto 20/23 September, Barbera 30 September – 3 October, Nebbiolo beginning-mid October, Nebbiolo for the production of Barolo mid October – beginning of November. The quality of the grapes was perfect at harvest. The grape yield was good… The wines have a good alcohol strength, and a good acidity. The colour is also good. We made the whole range of wines. 2016 is a very good vintage. We purchased a new crushing machine that ensures a better selection of the grapes and eliminates the dry and unripe berries…2016 could be compared to 2004….”

SERRALUNGA (Province of Cuneo): The weather during the winter was average with some snow. There was normal rainfall during the springtime. The weather during the summer was average with some rains. The temperature during September was higher than usual.

Giampaolo Pira of Azienda Agricola Pira Luigi & Figli (Barolo DOCG, Barbera d’Alba DOC, Dolcetto d’Alba DOC, Langhe Nebbiolo DOC): “..we started the harvest with Dolcetto on the 6-7t h of September and we finished with Nebbiolo on the 21s t of October: it was a long harvest. The grapes were lovely with a high sugar content, the acidity was good. The grape yield was also good. We made the whole range of wines. 2016 is an excellent vintage as 2015. The alcoholic fermentation is spontaneous with wild yeast…”

ROERO (Province of Cuneo): The winter was not excessively cold with some snow. It rained during the springtime. The climate during 2016 was good and there were no problems with fungus disease of the vines. The summer was hot in July, then there were 2-3 thunderstorms at the end of August/beginning of September and this was good for the grapes.

Alfredo Falletti – Castello di Malabaila di Canale (Roero DOCG, Roero Arneis DOCG, Langhe Rosato DOC, Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC, Barbera d’Alba DOC): “……there are the conditions for a great vintage. The grapes were really beautiful: we harvested 200 tons and we did not see a single flawed berry! As the weather was lovely in September we could wait till the phenolic ripening of the Nebbiolo grapes was perfect. We started picking on the 12t h of September, a bit later than usual, and we finished on the 18t h of October. We harvested for 36 days, we usually pick for 30-32 days. The Arneis wines are very fragrant, tasty and extremely pleasant to drink. The forecast for the Roero wines is of a great vintage: the tannins are numerous and supple, as we could wait for a perfect phenolic ripening. The Barbera wines are excellent, they are full in the mouth and fat. It is a great satisfaction to vinify such beautiful grapes. We are vinifying a vat of Nebbiolo with a submerged cap, as in the old days. Each vineyard is vinified on its own, but we are also trying to diversify the type of vinification….”

DOGLIANI (Province of Cuneo): The winter was quite dry till March. In March there was a lot of snow and this ensured an excellent water supply for the vines. The weather during the springtime was normal. The summer was lovely with some rain that did not cause damages. The rest of the season throughout the harvest was good.

Paolo Boschis – Azienda Agricola Francesco Boschis (Dolcetto di Dogliani DOC, Dogliani DOCG, Barbera d’Alba DOC, Piemonte Barbera DOC, Langhe Freisa DOC, Piemonte Grignolino DOC, Langhe Bianco DOC):”…the snow in March was beneficial for the vines as our hills are very steep and the water from the snow can be absorbed by the soil slowly. We started picking Sauvignon Blanc on the 18t h of September, then we picked Dolcetto and we finished oon the 4-5t h of October with Barbera. 2016 is an excellent vintage for quality and for yield. The grapes were wonderful. 2016 can be compared to 2004. The wines have a good structure, beautiful colour, good alcohol strength and a good acidity. 2016 will be a vintage that will be remembered. There were no problems with disease. We have now being following the practice of adding a low quantity of SO2 (below the limit allowed for organic wines) to the wines only at the end of the malolactic fermentation in order to favour indigenous yeast. It would be nice if all vintages were like this one! We are very happy as the quality is very good as in 2015 and the grape yield is good as in 2013. It is a good vintage from all points of view…”

CASTIGLIONE TINELLA (Province of Cuneo): It was quite dry throughout the year with little rain. During the summer it was warm, but not excessively, for a long time.

Giulio Morando owner of La Morandina (Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Chardonnay Langhe DOC, Barbera d’Asti DOCG, Langhe Rosso DOC, Spumante Brut Rosé): “..although 2016 was a dry vintage, the vines did not suffer as the soil of our vineyards is very fresh and maintains humidity. The quality of the grapes and the yield were good. We started picking Moscato on the 1s t of September and we finished with Nebbiolo for the production of Barbaresco on the 17t h of October. The grapes were perfect. We could pick without interruptions. We produced the whole range of wines. We are in the conversion phase to be certified organic. The red wines have a lot of colour with a good alcohol strength, it is still early to judge the aroma. The Moscato wines are very creamy and elegant. We are happy with the 2016 vintage. For Barbera we use yeasts that were selected by the Research Centre for Oenology of Asti from local indigenous yeast. The alcoholic fermentation of Barbaresco is spontaneous….”

CAPRIATA D’ORBA (Monferrato – Province of Alessandria): The winter was mild without snow. There was not much rain in springtime, the summer was dry and the temperature was medium-warm with some sudden changes. The weather during autumn was average.

Cristian Pomo oenologist of Azienda Agricola Stefano Massone (Gavi DOCG) and Camporosso (Gavi DOCG): “ …the Cortese grapes were picked from the 12t h till the 30t h of September. The ripening of the grapes was excellent. The grape yield in 2016 was 9 tons/hectare. In 2016 the grass cover on every other aisle was tilled and cold maceration with the skins was carried out before fermentation of the must. The wines of this vintage have a high concentration of aroma and are very elegant on the nose. The acidity is well balanced and this is a characteristic of great vintages. …2016 is an excellent vintage for quality and for grape yield. 2016 could be compared to 2007, 2011 and to 2015. We use yeast that is selected from our grapes for the fermentation….”

LESSONA (Province of Biella): The weather was cold and rainy till the 20t h of June. The weather in July was average, but with a temperature lower than average and with rains that were above average till mid July, except for the second half of the month during which it was a about 35 degrees Celsius for four days. In August the weather was warm, but not excessively, with good weather. September and October were lovely, with dry and sunny days and cool nights.

Paolo Benassi oenologist of Tenute Sella (Bramaterra DOC, Lessona DOC, Coste della Sesia DOC, Piemonte DOC): “..the sequence of the varieties harvested was: 3r d of October Erbaluce, 4t h of October Nebbiolo for the production of spumante, 5t h of October Barbera, 6t h of October Vespolina and Croatina, 7t h of October Riesling Renano, 12t h of October Nebbiolo for the production of Coste della Sesia Rosato, 17t h of October Cabernet Sauvignon, 17t h -18t h of October Nebbiolo of the Bramaterra vineyard, 19t h of October Nebbiolo of the San Sebastiano allo Zoppo vineyard, 22n d of October Nebbiolo of the Mesola vineyard. The grapes had reached an excellent maturity at harvest (as stated by the indexes of polyphenolic ripening of each vineyard). The grape yield was 3.8 tons/hectare. Practices carried out in the vineyards in 2016: we mowed the grass on alternate aisles in order to favour the activity of the pollinator insects; extension of mechanized or facilitated topping to all vineyards; carrying out of practices to air the soil; installation of drains in the lower part of the Bramaterra vineyards. The alcohol strength, the colour, the structure and the acidity of the wines are all higher than usual…. 2016 is an excellent vintage that could be compared with 2010……. What is new: a zonation project started in the province of Biella on biodiversity in the vineyards referred to microorganisms in the soil, to the insects of the zone and to the vegetation. Another zonation project started referring to the polyphenolic potential and to the aromatic character of the three main vineyards of Tenuta Sella: San Sebastiano, Mesola and Bramaterra. Final notes: …….during the month of July, which is very important for the synthesis of high quality tannins, the temperature was never high for more than four days in a row, so that the vines could ripen without suffering from hydric stress, which is the reason for aggressive tannins. Finally the good weather in September and in October, together with cool nights, favoured colour and aroma. Consequently we foresee wines with great structure and elegance and rich and fresh on the nose…..”

BARBARESCO (Province of Cuneo)

The winter was mild and the month of March was cooler than usual. This made the beginning of the vegetative cycle slightly later. The season continued well, with a right amount of rain during the springtime and a warm summer, but with an excellent day/night temperature range. The grapes of the various varieties and from different zones were extremely healthy and the yield was high. The harvest, thanks to the good weather, was carried out over a long period of time, from the beginning of September with Chardonnay till mid October with Nebbiolo.

Martina Minuto of Azienda Agricola Moccagatta (Barbaresco DOCG, Barbera d’Alba DOC, Langhe Chardonnay DOC, Dolcetto d’Alba DOC, Langhe Nebbiolo DOC): ”…sequence of the grape varieties that were harvested: Chardonnay 8-9 September – Dolcetto 19 September – Barbera 4-11 September – Nebbiolo 30 September – 17 October. The ripening of the grapes was very good. The musts had a high sugar content and were rich, the acidity was excellent for the freshness (of the wines). The wines are rich, with a slightly higher alcohol strength, but with excellent acidity and aroma. The grape yield was high. The conversion phase to be certified organic continues and improves. 2016 is a great vintage, the season was beautiful and so are the wines. 2016 could be compared to 2015 for the richness and complexity of the wines and to 2004 as the quality and grape yield were both high…..”